Tagged: Daily Reflections

HOW TO MAKE A LIGHTHOUSE

“No one lights a lamp and puts it under a bushel basket or under a bed; he puts it on a lampstand so that whoever comes in can see it.” —Luke 8:16 The Lord enlightens us when we hear or read the Bible and such commentaries on the Scriptures as this book, One Bread, One Body. God’s Word, especially the Scriptures, is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path (Ps 119:105). “For God, Who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts, that we in turn might make known the glory of...

GRACE AND PEACE

“Prayer of this kind is good, and God our Savior is pleased with it, for He wants all men to be saved.” —1 Timothy 2:3-4 Jesus died on the cross so that all would be saved from sin, death, and damnation. We are saved by His grace, which we must decide to accept by faith (Eph 2:8) and live in love with all our hearts (see Lk 10:27). The decisions to accept God’s saving graces are the most important decisions of our lives. However, these decisions are extremely difficult to make, for we are strongly pressured by the world, the...

ONE BODY IN CHRIST

“There is but one body and one spirit.” —Ephesians 4:4 St. Matthew left his old life completely behind and began a new, totally different, life in Jesus. He died to his old life, and in his new life, Matthew lived, not for himself, but for Christ, Who died for him and loved him (see Gal 2:19-20). Christian marriage is to be like this. A man and woman leave their old life completely behind. In their new, married life, the husband and wife live not for themselves, but for their spouse (see 1 Cor 7:4). In effect, each spouse says to...

BASIC NEEDS?

“For when he dies, he shall take none of it; his wealth shall not follow him down.” —Psalm 49:18 According to Sirach in the Old Testament, “life’s prime needs are water, bread, and clothing, a house, too, for decent privacy” (Sir 29:21). The New Testament may indicate that the basic needs of human beings have been reduced by Jesus’ coming (see Lk 9:58), for “if we have food and clothing we have all that we need” (1 Tm 6:8). Basic needs, according to the Bible, are very different from what most people today call basic needs. Today, in industrialized countries,...

TRUTH OR THE CONSEQUENCES OF UNBRIDLED SELFISHNESS

“God’s wisdom is vindicated by all who accept it.” —Luke 7:35 In our secular humanistic society, some people promote tolerance to the point of permissiveness. To do this, they must contradict themselves and be intolerant of those believing in objective, absolute truth, who in charity must oppose permissiveness. So secular humanists have problems with our statement that Jesus is the only Savior (see Acts 4:12) and the only Way to the Father (see Jn 14:6). Secular humanists get nervous when we say that not all religions are the same and that the Church is “the pillar and bulwark of truth”...